The demo for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice can now be downloaded from the Nintendo eShop. It’s a short demo, only about 30 minutes long, and covers part of The Foreign Turnabout, which is both the first case of the game and Phoenix Wright’s first trial in the Kingdom of Khura’in.
It hurries through the start of the case to get Phoenix in the courtroom, and from there Ace Attorney’s standard gameplay begins. Although Khura’in is vehemently against lawyers, Phoenix is allowed to take on the defense of Ahlbi, a young tour guide accused of murder—who also hates lawyers and is disinclined to cooperate with Phoenix.
Nevertheless, cross-examinations are handled the same way they’ve always been. Players can press a witness’s statement to get more information and present evidence to expose contradictions. The biggest addition to Ace Attorney’s formula is the Divination Séance, and that is the demo’s main focus.
Fans of the series should notice a similarity between the name Khura’in and Kurain, the village where spirit mediums come from. Spirit channeling takes on a new form in Khura’in, where the priestess Princess Rayfa uses the Divination Séance to make the murder victim’s final moments appear in the Pool of Souls.
This seems to doom Phoenix’s client, but he asks to see the Divination Séance to search for contradictions that could clear Ahlbi’s name.
The Divination Séance adds a new layer of complexity to trials. Players must compare the details displayed in the Pool of Souls, the interpretation given by Rayfa, and the case information contained in the Court Record. For example, the demo’s victim heard the Song of Ceremony while being murdered. According to the Court Record, the Song of Ceremony is sung during the Dance of Devotion, which means this contradicts Rayfa’s statement that the murder occurred after the Dance concluded.
While The Foreign Turnabout has a serious atmosphere due to the kingdom’s hatred of defense attorneys, the series’ traditional humor still rises to the surface, from the pun-filled names—tour guide Ahlbi Ur’gaid and the security guard on patrol, Mr. Paht Rohl—to Phoenix’s closing vow to “get Ahlbi acquitted of this crime… in the main game!”
Overall, the demo is a short but promising look at Spirit of Justice. Although the beginning feels a little awkward and rushed, it’s clearly so the demo can focus on the gameplay. Even Phoenix’s motivations for going to Khura’in are altered from those in the main game to set the stage as quickly as possible. As for the gameplay, Ace Attorney’s traditional mechanics seem as solid as ever, and the Divination Séance should be a welcome addition with a bit more complexity than regular cross-examinations.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney – Spirit of Justice will be available from the Nintendo eShop on September 8. Until then, the demo provides an enjoyable tease of what fans can expect from the newest entry in the Ace Attorney series.
